Prep football help

[farmerjerome]

I thought this thread might be helpful for a week or two for our new writers. Maybe each of us can give a tip on what we do to get games in on time for deadline.

I've just started a new system that has worked wonders on cutting down my filing time.

I put together a stat sheet on normal notebook paper. In the first wide margin, I leave a spot for the QB stats. I then split this in half for rushing and passing stats. I leave spots for two backs, two receivers, turnovers, penalties, sacks and offensive yards. It looks like this:


| QB | BACK 1 | BACK 2 | REC 1 | REC 2 | PEN | TURNOVERS | SACKS | TOT. YDS. |
| R | P | | | | | | | | |

Under each spot I record the play's yardage as well the cumulative yardage. Scoring plays are circled. It looks like this:


| Back 1 |
| |
| 7/7 |
| 8/15 |
-1/14

On a separate sheet of paper I keep the scoring summary on top and score by quarters at the bottom.


In my notebook, I have the standard Team, down, yardline line. Before each game I pick a highlighter for each team (closest to team colors). I highlight scoring plays with team colors. I use a yellow highlighter for flags, and whatever color is left I use for turnovers.

It sounds complicated, but I've got it down after one game. My stats are right there when the fourth quarter ends. I usually have the top quarter of my story written by the time I leave the press box.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

Two backs? Two receivers?

Hmmmm, might need a few more spots there.

I prefer this: Think lined paper...

Rushing
Johnny Stupid 5 4 2 7 8 9 5 -2
Hector Juice 5 32 32 7 64
etc.

Passing
Johnny Stupid - - INT 17 18 1


Receiving
Angel Garcia 17 18
Hector Juice 1
etc.

I use a separate pad for first downs, penalties, etc. and I do running totals on rushing, receiving and passing like on the top Johnny Stupid 5, 4/9, 2/11, 7/18, 8/26, 9/37, 5/42, -2/40.

If I can scan a sheet tonight I will...My advice, lay it out somewhere on Quark or Excel and print out a sheet for all this information.

 

[wickedwritah]

I use the same principles as fj. I also try to make sure that I total up stats at the half and after the third quarter. By the time I get to the fourth quarter, I have that running stats column going, and I only have to do a little bit of adding.

Thankfully, I am doing only basic boxes with scoring summaries this year, as opposed to the in-depth boxes I've been doing for a few years now. No more averaging out punt distances. Still will keep track of some of that stuff, though.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

I think there's a downloadable stat sheet on this site somewhere, but I don't know why I remember that.

 

[ColbertNation]

I do it how you taught me, Jerome.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

My stat sheet (which I have to give credit to slappy for) tabulates a running total as you go. Basically a bunch of rows of boxes, broken up into the different categories.

Passing
Joe Harrington -/0 25/25 3/28 -/28 -/28 -/28 4/32 X (write the yardage on each pass in the first box and the total yards for the game in the second. a - is an incompletion. an X is an interception.


Rushing
Anthony Sherrill 1/1 10/11 2/13 4/17 51/66 Circle scoring plays


Receiving
Greg Jennings 4/4 25/29 -5/24 98/122

Then at the end of the game, it's easy to tabulate. You see four catches for 122 yards or 5 carries for 66 yards. The number of carries, receptions are numbered on the top so easy to tell which carry it is for him.




Play by play
First possession of the game always goes flush left on a legal pad with down, to go, yard line, then a brief description of the play
1 10 24 ^ 24 dive right 4 yds
2 6 28 6 pass to 84 12 yards FD PASS
1 10 40 6 INT to 21, returned 21 yards


the other teams series gets indented, but in the same format. Each team stays flush left or indented for the first half.

 

[sportshack06]

if they have a laptop...I recommend Fixedit.com

Requires about 20 minutes of roster input (for a beginner) and as long as the auto-save option is clicked, its pretty darn easy to use. I'd recommend trying it out by watching a game on TV or something, just to get the hang of it (as well as try unusual situations, etc).

Makes my job a lot easier, and helps get info into the story I normally wouldn't be able to without going back and doing a lot of adding and figuring (ie: Podunk High was 100 percent on 3rd downs in the 1st three quarters, but was 0-5 on third downs in the fourth quarter)

 

[crusoes]

I liked Fixedit, except for its propensity to crash my computer.

 

[amraeder]

Basically same idea as Bert.
I have a sheet for each team that has
Rushing
#28 Jones 3,4,10(TD),8,6,35,1(TD)
#3 Smith 3, -3, -5
etc.
Passing
#3 Smith -, 7, 10, 35, -, -,-, INT (- is Incompletion)
Rec.
#55 Franklin 7, 10, 35

I have another one where I write down Punts, Fumbles, Fumb. Lost, Rec Yards, Penalty yards,
Then one that's play-by-play
Team Down Yd. to Go Yd. Line Description
E 1 10 E20 #28 3 yard run off right tackle.

A clipboard is key.

 

[amraeder]

Make sure to do good descriptions on the scoring plays and other big plays.
Then I will write down, when I think of them things like "Beating cover 2 over middle." "Pressure disrupting timing routes" in my steno book if it's something I want to remember to ask a player or coach about.

 

[farmerjerome]

I do it how you taught me, Jerome.

[/searching memory] I hope I taught you well.

I think I just added the stat sheet since then.

BTW, to BertoltBrecht, we really don't have too many studs up here. Two backs and receivers is more than enough.

 

[GreenSunglasses]

I was thinking of posting a thread like this to get some ideas.

Currently, I use graph paper. I use the top 1/3 to 1/2 for rushing stats. I use the sheet in landscape form which allows me to get about 40-45 rushes. I use about 8-10 lines for both teams rushers and allow a few extra lines in case there are more. I have the number of rushes along the top and with each rush, I put the amount of yards gained on the rush on one side of the box and the cumulative total on the second side.

#7 Culpepper 1/1 2/3 -1/2 40/42

I follow that routine in the bottom half for passers and receivers, also leaving a spot for punts, first downs and fumbles/lost.

I would love a good computer program or an easier way to total, especially considering the size of the boxes I have to use.

 

[ColbertNation]

I do it how you taught me, Jerome.

[/searching memory] I hope I taught you well.

I think I just added the stat sheet since then.

BTW, to BertoltBrecht, we really don't have too many studs up here. Two backs and receivers is more than enough.

Yeah, you're right. I was talking about the play-by-play.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

I do it how you taught me, Jerome.

[/searching memory] I hope I taught you well.

I think I just added the stat sheet since then.

BTW, to BertoltBrecht, we really don't have too many studs up here. Two backs and receivers is more than enough.

Yeah, you're right. I was talking about the play-by-play.

Oh, I've got to do every f'ing player here. That's why I wondered.

 

[GreenSunglasses]

D'oh.

I was going to scan my stat sheet, but I just realized I left it on somebody's desk.

 

[wickedwritah]

I can do a stat sheet quick and scan it in sometime tomorrow, so anyone looking for ideas can get some.

 

[GreenSunglasses]

I can do a stat sheet quick and scan it in sometime tomorrow, so anyone looking for ideas can get some.

I'm considering doing the same, but I keep realizing that I'm putting off writing a feature that's due in the morning. Plus, I have the Dog Whisperer in the background and for some reason, I really love that show.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

I can do a stat sheet quick and scan it in sometime tomorrow, so anyone looking for ideas can get some.

I'm considering doing the same, but I keep realizing that I'm putting off writing a feature that's due in the morning. Plus, I have the Dog Whisperer in the background and for some reason, I really love that show.

You need more boundaries and leematations.

 

[sportshack06]

I liked Fixedit, except for its propensity to crash my computer.

Does the program crash or the computer crash?

I always get a "GDI Resume Failure" with the program - like clockwork, in the third or fourth quarter. If the auto-save is on...just click No..restart the program and start it back, load the game file, make sure you are in the correct quarter and get back at it.

FixedIt isnt the best in the world, in terms of things it does (Records time after a kickoff, not the TD, which can skew Time Of Possession a bit). But I can deal with the issues for the price (free)

 

[amraeder]

I do it how you taught me, Jerome.

[/searching memory] I hope I taught you well.

I think I just added the stat sheet since then.

BTW, to BertoltBrecht, we really don't have too many studs up here. Two backs and receivers is more than enough.

Yeah, you're right. I was talking about the play-by-play.

Oh, I've got to do every f'ing player here. That's why I wondered.

Same here. I keep stats for every player. Not sure how you do boxes if you don't. Sometimes that means 10 different RBs in a blowout. Really annoying, but you need space for that.
Plus, sometimes a player will have just one carry one game, bust out for 100+ the next and jump into the leaders. Don't see how you don't keep stats for every one.